Before surgery, you’ll have a doctor’s visit where your pet will receive a full nose-to-tail exam, plus bloodwork, to make sure they’re healthy and ready for spaying or neutering. The doctor will walk you through the procedure and answer any questions you have.

On the day of the procedure, your pet will receive anesthesia and be carefully monitored by our veterinary team using state-of-the-art equipment. To keep you in the loop (and help you relax), we’ll call or text you with updates on your pet before, during, and after the operation.

A nurse will be by your pet’s side so they aren’t alone when they wake up. A little wooziness and post-anesthesia fussiness or anxiety is normal, but most pets recover relatively quickly. We’ll send your pet home with pain medication and schedule a complimentary post-op exam to make sure they’re healing well and remove their stitches if needed.

As with any type of surgery, there are small risks associated with the anesthetic and surgery itself. However, it’s worth remembering that spaying and neutering are extremely common, routine surgeries, with very high safety and success rates. Our veterinarians will also conduct pre-operative tests before the surgery to ensure your pet is healthy and a good candidate for surgery.

Yes, it’s important for our vets to examine your pet before they undergo surgery, to ensure they’re in good health and there are no unforeseen risks. At your pet’s pre-op appointment, we’ll conduct a physical examination, collect bloodwork and an ECG to make sure your pet is ready for anesthesia.

Spay and neuter surgeries are unique to each pet, and the requirements and cost may vary depending on your pet’s sex, weight, reaction to the procedure, and other factors. We’ll also perform a pre-operative exam to ensure your pet is ready to undergo anesthesia. Please email hi@smalldoorvet.com to inquire about costs for your pet.

Many pet owners are worried that their pet’s personality will change after they are spayed or neutered, and while you may see some behavioral changes, they are considered overwhelmingly positive by most pet owners – such as reduced aggression and territory marking. Your pet will not lose their ‘joie de vivre’ when they are spayed/neutered; they will be just as playful and loving as before.

For many pets, spaying and neutering has positive behavioral effects such as reducing urine marking and aggression. However, while spaying and neutering often fixes these issues, some pets may still continue to urine mark or show aggression, and additional training may be required. Our vets can provide behavioral counseling, and teach you how to discourage these unwanted behaviors.

For small dogs, there is no evidence that waiting for a heat cycle is beneficial. However, larger dogs may benefit from waiting until they are a little older, as mentioned above, and so they will likely go into heat before this time.

For dogs in heat, we recommend waiting two months to spay them, as spaying during heat significantly increases the risk of bleeding during surgery. For cats in heat, there is a slightly higher risk of bleeding, however it’s much safer than for dogs, and cats are spayed during heat fairly routinely. As cats tend to stay in heat all spring/summer, some owners may not wish to wait that long.

Your pet’s vulva may look swollen and larger than normal. They may experience bloody discharge and more frequent urination. Some behavioral changes may occur, like becoming more restless and vocal.

If your dog or cat has recently given birth, it’s best to wait 2 months after the puppies or kittens have been weaned before spaying your pet.

Yes, some surgical procedures, such as airway surgery for brachycephalic dogs, or hernia repairs, can be done at the same time as a spay or neuter, to avoid the need for your pet to undergo anesthesia twice. However, this will depend on the complexity of the procedure in question; if it is particularly lengthy or invasive, it may be better for your pet to undergo the surgeries at different times. Our vets will be able to advise on the best recommendation for your pet during a pre-operative appointment.

While you don’t need to clean their incision, you should monitor it for any swelling or discharge, and send us a picture via the app if you have any concerns. It’s also important to ensure your pet wears their e-collar (or surgical suit, depending on the pet and surgery type) at all times until their follow-up appointment/when their stitches are removed.

No, it’s not safe to bathe your pet or let them go swimming while their incision is still healing, because water, dirt or soap could get inside. We recommend keeping your pet inside as much as possible during their recovery, which should hopefully lessen the likelihood of them needing a bath (and of any swimming!) If you think your pet may need a bath during recovery, give us a call for advice.

More time is dedicated to your pet during every part of their procedure, ensuring their safety and reducing fear and stress.

Instead of taking a “one size fits all” approach to anesthesia, we carefully tailor a plan to your pet’s needs.

The only Small Door team members who induce and monitor anesthesia are dedicated, specially credentialed nurses.

To minimize the possibility of medical errors or equipment malfunctions, we utilize safety checklists from human healthcare.

We make sure your pet is comfortable and safe while they recover, with a nurse by their side when they wake up.

Surgery is an anxious time for pet parents, so we share updates via call or text before, during, and after your pet’s procedure.